


The Ministry of Magic

by moonfairy13



Series: Fremione and the Weasleys [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fred Weasley Lives, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Marriage, Ministry of Magic (Harry Potter), Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:31:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14988860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonfairy13/pseuds/moonfairy13
Summary: Hermione and Fred need to register their intention to marry. And they need that done before a new marriage law is enacted on Monday morning which could put her in danger of being forcibly paired with someone not of her choosing. They head to the Ministry of Magic to try to get the paperwork. Will they succeed or will bureaucracy foil their plan?





	The Ministry of Magic

**Author's Note:**

> More at the end on this, but if you haven't read the early parts of this series, you might like to check out The Line-Up and Fear of Flying to find out how Hermione and Fred got to this point :-)

“So what’s the plan then?” Hermione asked Fred as they walked towards The Burrow. She was keen to hear the result of his conversation with Matt, an old friend who now worked in the Ministry of Magic’s Department of Family Matters.

“Well, I obviously didn’t say we knew anything, just asked Matt about filing the paperwork for a marriage licence. And whether we could do it on a weekend.”

“And what did he say?” Hermione asked, stepping out of the way of a rather cross gnome who seemed intent on tripping her up as she passed through the gate to The Burrow’s kitchen garden.

“He seemed a bit on edge, I must say,” said Fred. “Like he wanted to ask why we were in a rush but didn’t want to at the same time.”

“Well if he knows or suspects about the impending marriage law, that would make sense. It put Percy in a dilemma. It’ll be just as hard for anyone else who works there, I’m sure.”

“Yeah.” Fred looked thoughtful.

Hermione swallowed. “Do you think this is going to work?”

Fred stopped in his tracks and caught Hermione’s hand, swinging her around into his arms. “We’re going to make it work, love. I’m not going to let you be unattached on Monday morning and at risk of getting paired with a death eater.” Hermione shuddered. "Whatever it takes, we'll be engaged and have a licence to marry." He slid his hand around her back and hugged her to his chest.

“Let’s just floo there and see what happens, ‘Mione.” Fred gave her a quick kiss before taking her hand and leading her towards the house. “Matt said to meet him in his office as soon as we could, and he would see what he could do. He should be off this weekend but he said he would come in for us. Good bloke, Matt.”

They didn’t stop to chat long to Molly when they entered The Burrow, and she sensed their worry. “Go along with you,” she said. “But please let us know what’s happening when you can. I’m going to worry til I know.”

Fred nodded and Hermione gave Molly a tight hug. “We will. We’ll come back here when we’re done.”

“The Ministry of Magic!” said Hermione clearly as she threw the floo powder, and Fred followed seconds later. As they stepped out of the fireplace into the Ministry’s spacious atrium, which was rather quieter than usual, Fred reached for her hand again and led her through a maze of corridors to Matt’s office. 

“George and I meet him here for lunch now and again to catch up,” he said, by way of explanation as to his ability to find his way through the labyrinthine building. “Our hours are much more flexible than his, so we don’t mind doing the foot travel time.”

Eventually, they reached a large oak door, which was ajar. Fred knocked on it and then pushed it open. “Are you there, mate?” he called.

“I am. Fred…” he shook hands quickly with his old friend before turning to his fiancée. “And Hermione, it’s nice to finally meet you in person,” said Matt.

“You too, Matt,” said Hermione brightly, stepping forward to shake his hand.

“But I’m afraid I’m going to be the bearer of bad news.” Matt shook his head. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know when we met earlier, but it turns out that, since yesterday afternoon, there is a temporary ban on marriage licences.”

“A ban?” asked Hermione, looking at Fred. This could spell disaster for their plans. Her brain immediately began to consider alternatives. She wondered whether an application for a muggle wedding licence would count, and then realised that, if the Ministry had put this temporary ban in place, it was presumably because they feared exactly the kind of news leak that had led to Fred and Hermione’s engagement. They weren’t likely to allow that as a loophole. 

“Hey,” said Fred softly, squeezing her hand. “Earth to Hermione?”

She looked at him, her eyes full of concern. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll find a way,” Fred reassured her. Then he turned to his friend. “Is there anything we can do?”

Matt shook his head. “I don’t know. All I know is what’s on the memo. It was on my desk when I got here after meeting you.”

“May I?” asked Hermione, reaching her hand out towards him. Matt handed her the green paper.

Hermione read it very quietly and then smiled.

“We may have a chance,” she said. “It says that, as of 4pm on Friday, no marriage licenses are to be allowed except with special permission from the Minister of Magic.”

“Kingsley,” said Fred.

Matt nodded once. “The very same.”

Hermione felt a bit more relaxed. Kingsley was an old friend, a member of The Order of the Phoenix. Surely he would realise the ramifications of this law for Hermione and help her to escape it. 

“Thank you so much, Matt, but we need to go right away.” As Fred was shaking his friend’s hand again, Hermione sent a patronus to Kingsley, asking him where he was and whether she and a friend could visit as a matter of urgency. Kingsley’s patronus appeared a minute later, telling them that he was spending the afternoon in his garden and that they were most welcome to join him.

When they apparated over just a couple of minutes later, both Hermione and Fred were amused to find Kingsley seated in a striped deck chair which looked like it had come off the front of a 1960s seaside postcard. 

“Your dad isn’t the only one who enjoys muggle artefacts, you know,” he boomed with laughter at Fred’s amused face, shaking the younger wizard’s hand before reaching for Hermione’s. “Now what can I do for you two?” he asked, flicking his wand at his garden shed and causing two more chairs to fly over and settle themselves onto the freshly mown lawn.

“Well…” began Fred, as he sat.

“We need your help, Kings…” Hermione sat in her own chair and leaned forward. “Is there any way that Fred and I can get a licence to get married? It’s a bit urgent. We just tried at the Ministry but apparently we need your permission.”

Kingsley’s eyes narrowed as he looked from Hermione to Fred and back again, trying to calculate how much they knew. The new marriage law was indeed the reason for the ban, as the Wizengamot had been worried about a leak. And Kingsley suspected that his two young friends were in his garden now precisely because of a leak. But he couldn’t afford to have a direct conversation with them about it, in case his – or indeed their – integrity was ever questioned. 

He was, however, delighted to see Hermione in front of him, and in the company of a young, good looking and bright wizard who seemed to care for her. He had lost several hours of sleep fearing what the consequence of the new law was likely to be for the brave young woman who had done so much for their world. Mind made up, he held up his finger before speaking slowly.

“We are going to have a very careful conversation now. Nothing can be said that might appear out of order if it came under scrutiny.”

Both Hermione and Fred nodded in understanding. They were both bright, and well aware of the implications of what the older wizard was saying. Fred reached for Hermione’s hand and held it gently.

“Can I assume that the two of you have been in love for quite some time?”

“Yes, you can, sir,” said Fred, relieved that the question was easier than he had feared. “We have actually loved each other for years. But –“

“No! No need for detail,” said Kingsley quickly, holding up his hand. “And can I assume that there might perhaps be a good reason why you’re wanting to get married in more of a hurry than usual? Take a bit of time to think if you need it.”

Hermione looked at Fred, more worried about how to answer this question. She was gathering that Kingsley was trying to find a way to help without incriminating himself, but what possible reason could they find for wanting an urgent wedding licence? Other than the real reason, which of course they couldn’t discuss, because they weren’t supposed to know about it.

The pause went on for longer than was comfortable. After a couple of minutes, Kingsley stood and announced that, as the June sun was rather hot, he was going inside to get them all some refreshment.

“Fred,” hissed Hermione once the Minister was out of earshot. “My mind is blank. What can we say?”

“He knows, love!”

“I know he knows, Fred! And he wants to help. But we have to find a reason; provide a justification that he can use to give us a license. But we need to think! Why can’t we wait a few more days for a licence? It’s not like we want to get married right away ... we just need to register our intention so I won’t be affected by the law.”

Kingsley strode back down the garden with a tray holding a pitcher of drinks and glasses. He looked at the two of them and announced that he had a thought to share.

“Is Charlie home for the solstice, by any chance?” Kingsley asked them.

“Yes,” said Fred and Hermione at the same time.

“And Bill and Fleur? Where are they?”

“At Shell Cottage, but I’m sure we could floo them if we needed to.”

“You will need to, but Charlie’s the key. That and the fact that this is the midsummer holiday weekend.”

Hermione looked puzzled for a moment, then smiled as she began to understand, and then almost immediately after that looked a bit shocked. Fred watched the emotions flickering over her face and whispered, “what is it, love?” before Kingsley interrupted them again.

“There’s only one circumstance in which I’m going to be able to grant you a marriage licence today and get away with it.”

Hermione reached for Fred’s hand, a determined look in her eyes. Her brain was racing and her stomach filled with butterflies as she realised what Kingsley was going to say. “We’ll consider anything,” she said. It was true. She wanted nothing more than to be free of worry about the new law and how it would affect her. But that thought was immediately overridden by another. She did want something more. She wanted the man who was in the chair beside her to be her husband and partner. The rest they would figure out together.

“OK then,” said Kingsley. “Here’s my position. I will sign a special marriage licence for you two today because I understand that, as a member of one of the most tightly-knit wizarding families in England, Fred wants to celebrate his wedding with all of his – and your – loved ones.”

Fred nodded.

“And obviously with Charlie on the reserve so much and Ron and Harry in the Auror programme, it’s hard to get all you Weasleys together at the same time, so I now understand now why you’ve come to me as a matter of urgency on the midsummer holiday weekend.”

“Damn,” whispered Fred. “You’re good.”

“Thank you for that vote of confidence, Mr Weasley” smiled Kingsley. “But to spell it out, I can't just grant you two a marriage licence. There's no justifiable reason why you couldn't wait til next week for that. No, If you want to go ahead with this, I will grant you a special licence, but it will be for the two of you to get married at The Burrow before sundown tomorrow. I will marry you myself, in front of the entire Weasley family, of course, as that’s the reason for the urgency, and there will be a few further conditions.”

Hermione nodded, and squeezed Fred’s hand. The butterflies had formed a marching band. She had run the gamut of emotions already today, and was no longer sure whether she could even describe what she was currently feeling.

“We’d like to hear the conditions, sir,” said Fred, stroking Hermione’s hand as she reached for her drink with the other. 

“Of course,” Kingsley replied. “One, you have a full formal magical bonding ceremony. That means no divorce, not til death do you part and no chance that anyone else can overturn the marriage later.”

Hermione nodded. “That makes sense. I’m OK with that. Fred?” 

“Of course, love. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

If there had been time, Hermione would have kissed him soundly and at length upon hearing that. But Kingsley was continuing.

“Condition two. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the marriage needs to be consummated by dawn on Monday. Then annulment is completely impossible. If you can’t agree to that,” he looked directly at Hermione. “Then I’m going to have to bid you farewell and obliviate us all.”

Both Kingsley and Fred looked a little concerned, and Fred turned to look at Hermione as well. This was all happening unbelievably quickly, and he was worried that Hermione would balk at this condition. He didn’t know whether she had any sexual experience and, while he would die before hurting her or pushing her to do something she didn’t want to, he could see where Kingsley was coming from. If the Wizengamot somehow found out about this on Monday morning and their marriage hadn’t been consummated, it would be a relatively easy task to challenge and annul it if they hadn’t sealed it with the physical act that would unite their magical cores and make their marriage sacred.

But Hermione surprised both of the men by laughing. “Stop looking so worried, you two,” she told them. “If you think about some of the things I’ve been through, making love with the man I trust most in the world isn’t exactly going to be a hardship, is it?!”

Kingsley loud laugh boomed out again through the garden, bringing with it a sense of relief. 

“Condition three will be easy then,” he said. “You can only invite immediate family and Order members. We can’t afford to have word get out before we’re done. And tell anyone who doesn’t need to know that it’s just a solstice party until they get there. Let’s make sure this happens as planned, and that I don’t end up with chaos on my hands.”

**Author's Note:**

> OK, so this has grown from being a one-shot ... is anyone out there reading this and, if so, is it worth continuing?


End file.
